SHSI Iowa City: Iowa Time Machine August 31, 1960

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 31, 1960, the State Historical Society of Iowa dedicated the Centennial Building in Iowa City. The eastern Iowa home of collections, the State Historical Society plans to close the location in the coming months. 

Two early Iowa governors, Samuel Kirkwood and James Grimes, helped found the State Historical Society of Iowa in February 1857 in Iowa City. The State Historical Society of Iowa began collecting essential documents and objects almost immediately and eventually relocated to the Old Capitol on the University of Iowa’s Pentacrest by 1865. Later, the collections moved to Schaeffer Hall until the opening of the Centennial Building in 1960.

Friends of the State Historical Society of Iowa contributed 40% of the $500,000 required for construction. At the same time, the remaining balance came from funds approved in the 56th and 58th meetings of the Iowa General Assembly. At the time of its dedication, the State Historical Society of Iowa boasted a membership of over 6,000 individuals, ranking it second nationally.

The initial building specs allowed for the storage of 160,000 books and 27,000 bound newspaper volumes, doubling the archival storage of state facilities at the time. By 1976, the state had housed 86,000 books, 30,000 pamphlets, 11,000 bound newspapers, and 2,000 rolls of microfilm, all ready for research by eager Iowans. In 2025, the State Historical Society of Iowa announced it plans to close the research center. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar